Skitopia

A snowHead

Hi,
Anyone used this lot? Did a search but very little comes up. Was interested in their Montgenevre chalet , so any feedback would be welcome.
Thanks in advance
Mitch

A snowHead

Mitchell, It's not a chalet, it's an ancient and rather run-down hotel.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Mitchell, Wot Lizzard said...they seem to specialise in large rather shabby chalet hotels. We've been with them a couple of times, once was fantastic (Alpe d'Huez) great value, great staff, good location. The other was rubbish (Serre Chevalier) good value, rubbish staff, way out location....they ran out of wine!!! Good grief, apparently we drank it all....obviously hadn't heard of supermarkets! No experience of the Montgenevre chalet except to sit outside it in a bus on the trip back to the airport from Serre Che...looked to be much the same sort of standard.

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We have travelled with Skitopia four times in the past five or so years. We have had two 'budget' holidays and two 'luxury' chalet holidays (but not in Montgenevre). The budget holidays were in Villeneuve at the Hotel Sporting which is a former very grand but now somewhat shabby hotel. We had great holidays two years running and the total all inclusive package was incredible value. The two 'luxury' holidays were in the Chalet Amie in Reberty. The first holiday was an absolute bargain as we got a half price deal in an underbooked week in March and they still operated an inclusive bar all evening, plus the chef, a lovely lady called Lesley, looked after us really well. The second visit a year later was still great value and enjoyable because of the other skiers in the chalet, but the staff (no longer supervised by Lesley unfortunately) left a lot to be desired! The staff at the Sporting on the other hand we found friendly, enthusiastic and helpful on both visits. Frankly, as a ski holiday at the budget end of the market, it would be difficult to better the value offered by Skitopia - assuming the company hasn't changed greatly in the past year or so since we last travelled with them.
We stayed in Montgenevre a few years ago and flew into Turin which is about a 2hour transfer. I think Skitopia fly into Chambery now and the transfer is more like three and a half to four hours from that direction as they stop off at Villeneuve on the way through so it is worth checking on that?
Hope this helps?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

janet.woodzz@btinternet.c, That isn't your proper email addy is it? I'd change me moniker if it is.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Mitchell, Yes, we went to Serre Chavalier with them - you get what you pay for ! . . . the 2* hotel we stayed at in Chantmerle, has now been bulldozed, it was more like a hostel than a hotel; the rooms were very basic (we never had a wardrobe), the food was basic (chef got a cheer when it was her night off lol), the staff were friendly and helpful though. We got ski hire, flights, food, free wine with meals, ski pass and transfers all for about £500. A bargain, and desite the accomodation we had a great holiday, loads of fun and Serre Chevalier is an excellent ski resort. We also got a trip to Montgenevre thrown in with that price too. If you're not after luxury, you probably won't be disappointed.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been twice with Skitopia. First trip was a massive success but there was only 4 of us in the hotel and got 3 staff per guest, the second trip was a different story. It was a hostel in serre che (aparent hotel) was filthy (toenails under the bed etc), the food was awful and the staff poor.
On the plus side, very cheap but we spent more eating out instead of staying in on the all inclusive deal.

Do go to Serre Chevalier though...........Amazing place!!!!!!!

After all it is free

Mitchell, I have stayed in L'Ours Blanc (as Lizzard, says, it's less of a chalet, and more of a chalet-hotel. Our was a last-minute Crystal deal (Pretty cheap, but can't remember exact cost) and as such, was OK. Bit scruffy and basic, but decent location and the food was OK (all depends on the staff at the time though Puzzled

) Not sure how homphomp, was lucky enough to sit outside it on a bus though - it was a very narrow road and we had to walk in from the coach park at the end of the village (about 10 minute walk, but luggage went on trolleys) and the same when we left.

Anniepen, Oh Puzzled

We sat outside somewhere on a bus!! I assumed it was their place but quite obviously not Very Happy

you live and learn.

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Sounds best to look elsewhere

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I am in dispute with thsi company at the mo' as they have changed our airport from Manchester to Gatwick - this is no good to us. However, they do not recognise that transporting four adults plus equipment to Gatwick is not a major enough change for us to have our £400 deposit back if we cancel. And they will not offer anything for transport to Gatwick. They have been mopst unhelpful so far, and quite rude in their email reply. If we cannot get the £400 back oncancellation I will be taking it up with Abta.....................

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alex_heney, Does ABTA even have jurisdiction if the holdiay is booked direct? ATOL maybe if the company is a member, but if ABTA rules are in point should teh OP not just take it up with the travle agent they booked through.

You know it makes sense.

fatbob, Yes, ABTA have responsibility for all package holidays, whether booked through an agent or direct with the principal.

I think skitopia only do direct bookings, although it is possible I'm wrong on that.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Cheers for your advice - still in dispute. Skitopia are totally ignoring any emails and point me in the direction of the director who "makes all the decisions" He is never available - surprise surprise!! Have emailed abta but so far no reply. They are also very difficult to get on the phone. Any tips about how to get through to them? Apparantly they are months behind with complaints due to xcel. I will continue to try to chase my £400. Now booked with Equity to the same resort - Montgenevre. Bank balance and credit card balance suffering from a major headache!

A snowHead

snowdon lily, that would be Mr Charles Ardagh, I do believe. You could try the phone number given on this bit of their website: http://www.chateaubergeron.com/

A snowHead

snowdon lily, we have travelled with Equity several times and been very impressed. You should be fine with them and Montgenevre is a great resort. Hope you get your dispute sorted out

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I am already far more impressed with the pre-holiday sales service from Equity than from skitopia. Funnily enough their holiday is more or less the same price- wise as skitopia. I hope Mitchell has not booked with this shabby lot.(skitopia) I am still trying to get a reply to my emails from them next stop is to try phoning the director direct(!?) thanks Lizzard.

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snowdon lily,
No I haven't booked anything yet.........have been watching this with intrest, just going to look at 'Equity'.
Cheers
Mitch

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I've been with equity a few times: they've been great.

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Thanks for advice re abta and Charles Ardagh of skitopia. No luck with either of them though. Abta wrote back and basically said they were not intrested! (I am left wondering what is the point for looking for ABTA registered operators, when it actually means nothing! )Abta told me to go to local trading standards - who I highly recommend to anyone with such a problem. Trading Standards were fantastic - they phoned up Mr Charles Ardagh from Skitopia and , after a long "chat" he, in a nutshell, said that he was not prepared to do anything so hard luck!!!!!! They cannot take him to court - s recommended a registered letter to my credit card company, who have now refunded the £400 deposit . Hooray - just in time for spends in Montgenevre this week!!!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Mr. Ardagh's son is in the same year at school as my chap, not that that helps at all. Confused

I don't know much about them as a company.

After all it is free

I did Skitopia in the Hotel Sporting, Villleneuve in 2004. Ropey old hotel, cheap and cheerful. You get what you pay for. The staff were good fun though, excellent people.

I did Skitopia in the Hotel Sporting, Villleneuve in 2005.
I was on my own and I thought it was a great holiday. Fantastic value and I would use them again.
Unfortunately they seem to only fly from Gatwick these days which is a good 8 hour drive for me.

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Glad we went to Montgenevre with Equity - they were excellent and could ot fault anything at all pre -holiday and during holiday, their service and staff were excellent, and the holiday price was practically the same as the Skitopia one. Did you get sorted, Mitch?

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snowdon lily,
Yes, off with Rocket Ski on the 17th Jan, I think 'another' part of Equity ski coincedentally enough Very Happy

Cheers
Mitch[/code]

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Yes - Rocket Ski are the same company. Where are you off to? Montgenevre? We stayed at the Rois Mages

We've been with Skitopia to Montgenevre last year and stayed at La Grange Hotel. Montgenevre itself is a lovely resort and we'd go there again but definitely NOT with Skitopia. The hotel isn't just shabby, it's dangerous. On a budget holiday you at least expect clean sheets, beds that aren't broken and you definitely don't expect live wires hanging out the wall near your bunkbed. The place is dirty and the heating was broken for 3 days, which when you're in the Alps and want to come back to a cosy room is unacceptable. We really didn't expect a lot given the cheap price but it is only cheap because you are crammed into rooms that aren't booked up by school groups and it really does feel like you're staying in a school dorm. Don't waste your money, we're going self catering next year so we can at least get some decent food and not packet soups and soggy tinned veg! Shocked

You know it makes sense.

mammoth, welcome to SnowHeads.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I went to Serre Chevalier last Feb with Skitopia, it was my first ski trip so I do not really have a benchmark. In the busy season they also ship a bunch of people to some appartments down the road, which are more like some run down student halls of residence, although the shower was hot all the time! This was a 10-15 minute walk or 5 mins in holiday website speak along a main road and the path to the appartments was an icy death trap with everyone taking a tumble, this had to be made for every meal etc. and I honestly thought was a tad dangerous and Im not a health safety advoicate.

Food was again reminded me of uni or some low standard canteen, it was budget but everyone was shocked at how poor some of the food was, even with a low budget it doesnt take much to make something tasty such as adding some seasoning! The reason was that the staff who were doing a season were quite young and doing the cooking. I found the staff okay some were better than others i.e. they were genuinely nice with common sense while others were well the oppsite and seemed shocked when you asked them for milk for your tea. Getting them to drive the van up to the appartments on the last day so you didnt have to lug your stuff also seemed quite a surprising and annoying request

Onto the skiing though! The resort was really good and I think there is a lot of tame off piste and lots of runs, they throw in the equipement which seemed okay. Flights were into Turin think it was a couple of hours to get to the resort, Montgenevre looked pretty rubbish when we drove through it, couple of people done a day trip there and said it was pretty crap too (for skiing). I think Serre Chev. with skitopia it is good value for money and I was thinking of going with them again, the type of people who you meet on the trip are generally down to earth and up for skiing as the bargain price would attract.

Dont expect much in the way of service or flexibility if for instance your room was rubbish, they must run on pretty tight margins and barely seemed to have budget to keep the kitchen stocked with milk at times. When they say budget it really is BUDGET, everyone who went would probably say the same thing though, but if you gotta ski you gotta ski

Help!!

Skitopia

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